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It was a throwback afternoon in Pittsburgh, Saturday — which is what the Winnipeg Jets should do with the game.

They can’t, of course, and so the stench of giving up eight goals is going to follow them around until at least Tuesday, their first chance to scrub if off.

This was bullhead ugly, a fishing derby of giveaways, dumb decisions and dreadful defence.

The final score, 8-5, actually flattered the Jets, who got some good bounces and scored more goals than they have in nearly two months.

It’s what happened at the other end of the rink that reeked.

The Jets were so bad defensively the Penguins could have hit double digits.

As it is, the touchdown and two-point convert was more points than the Steelers scored on two occasions this past season.

Handing out more rubber than Goodyear, the Jets appeared determined to recreate the golden era of Mario Lemieux and Co.

“You cut through most of the B.S., we just gave up way too much, close to our net,” defenceman Ron Hainsey said. “And we paid, big, for it.”

On this day, the Jets should have paid to get into the building. Most everybody else who just watched, did.

Ondrej Pavelec should get the back of his neck checked for heat rash. Poor guy saw more flashing red than Winnipeg’s core area on a warm Saturday night.

Not that Pavelec was at his best, either.

The Penguins goal that broke a 2-2 tie early in the second, Chris Kunitz beating him from the right faceoff dot, is one save Pavelec should make.

But that’s like saying the victim of a firing squad should have dodged one of the bullets.

Teammates rushed to their goaltender’s defence in the aftermath, but there was no such rush during the game.

“Quite frankly, I find it disrespectful,” head coach Claude Noel said. “Players being disrespectful to each other, the goaltending and everything.

“You take your pick of which areas you want to cover, whether it’s us not getting it deep, turning pucks over, D’s are up the ice getting caught — we gave up more odd-man rushes in two periods of play than we did in our last 10 games.”

When the Jets weren’t standing idly by, they were making foolish forays into the Pittsburgh zone.

Leading the way was Dustin Byfuglien, who somehow managed two even-strength points while still going minus-3.

The big man was on the ice for the first five even-strength Pittsburgh goals, and is now a team-worst minus-13 on the season.

The Jets were soft as Kleenex, too, knocked off the puck all too often by as little as a sneeze.

Talk about wasting a five-goal outburst.

They actually grabbed a 2-0 early lead, and had every reason in the world to be feeling good about themselves, two wins already under their belts.

Time to fire up the tight-checking machine that recently held the Flyers, Leafs and Capitals to two goals or less, right?

Instead, it was almost like they got greedy, thinking they could run it up.

Marc-Andre Fleury was having a rough night in the Pens net, and the Jets were getting some early bounces.

They took them and frittered them away.

It’s going to hurt, too. Florida won, so the Jets have fallen five points behind the leaders in the Southeast Division.

All because they forgot how to do the one thing they’d been doing well lately.

“We didn’t anticipate having that many and that kind of chances,” Penguins boss Dan Bylsma acknowledged.

Then he finished the throwback day with a throwback comment.

“I don’t think either coach is going to be impressed. Both coaches would take the VCR tape and burn it.”

Unfortunately for the Jets, this is the digital era.

And this one won’t be so easy to get rid of.

Flight recorder

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 8 (31-19-5)

WINNIPEG JETS 5 (26-25-6)

THE SKINNY

A great start by the Jets and 2-0 early lead disintegrates into a wash of giveaways, poor choices and lax defensive play, reminiscent of the team’s play back in October. Play like that against anybody, let alone the Pens, and it’ll be a long night.

REPORT CARD

D FORWARDS: Sure they took advantage of some good bounces and scored four goals, but so what? It all gets erased by the soft turnovers and defensive play.

D DEFENCE: They chipped in with a goal and four assists, but checked out with brain cramps aplenty. In the same leaky boat as the forwards.

C- GOALTENDING: A short-side goal, another off a bad angle — it wasn’t Ondrej Pavelec’s best night, either — although he got no help at all.

UP NEXT

The Jets return home to take on the New York Islanders, Tuesday. Faceoff at 7:30 p.m.